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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24271369">All In White</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pure_shores/pseuds/pure_shores'>pure_shores</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You Were Red and You Liked Me Because I Was Blue [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Crankiplier - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys Kissing, Cliche, Dancing, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fluff, I hate tagging so much, I hope lol, Idiots in Love, Kinda, M/M, Masquerade Ball, Mental Health Issues, No Angst, No Beta, No Smut, Romance, but yous are gonna love it, cheesy af, ethan's anxiety, it is what it is, just a little</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:02:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,705</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24271369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pure_shores/pseuds/pure_shores</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan's been invited to a YouTube charity masquerade ball but he goes alone since Mark's busy working on Secret Project stuff. Luckily Sean's there so he starts to relax and have fun when a mysterious masked man in white asks him to dance. (Can you guess who it is yet? It's really not hard. Also, this is cliche AF)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You Were Red and You Liked Me Because I Was Blue [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742731</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>156</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All In White</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey hey heyyy!<br/>How're we all doing? There really isn't much to say apart from thanks to everyone for the continued love and support, as well as ideas for future oneshots! This one is just an indulgence of mine so just let me have this one thing okay :') And, of course, if you haven't read this series from the beginning I highly recommend it because this is a whole universe going on!<br/>As usual, this is a work of fiction in an alternate universe and the boys are in very real relationships so please don't bring up shipping/fanfiction with them, okay? Awesome!<br/>Enjoy x</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>As he walked up the stone pathway to the manor up ahead, Ethan’s eyes bulged at just how </span><em><span>huge</span></em><span> the place was. It was the kind of place you’d see in movies where a James Bond villain lived or it could belong in period dramas - it wouldn’t be out of place on the set of Downton Abbey. </span><em><span>Not </span></em><span>that</span> <span>he watched that, if you were wondering. He just knew all about it, that’s all. His dad was something of a fan of the show… There were Roman-looking columns out front of the building which acted as exterior decoration as well as support to hold up the roof, and there were sprawling gardens out front and back, which he spied around the corner of the building. The owners really knew how to look after such a historic place and highlight its features - they’d had spotlights set up at the base of the columns to illuminate them and flood the facade with soft yellow tints. Lining the path that he followed were elegant lanterns to light the way, as if you’d have any chance of getting lost finding the entrance, and they also shone with the same soft tones as the column spotlights. The lighting had done a hell of a job making this place look magical and mysterious in the fading glow of a summer evening such as this. As he glanced about, Ethan noted that there were loads of people milling around on the lawn out front, all dressed rather suave, whereas he felt a bit like he was trying too hard. He’d found a deep blue floral suit which he’d thought would stick out as being unique and different. However, formal attire had never been his thing, he’d even hated dressing up for prom. He just felt far more comfy in jeans, a tshirt and sneakers. But! This was for a great cause - quite a while back, maybe more than six months ago, Ethan had received an invitation from YouTube to partake in a masquerade charity ball. He’d not even hesitated to respond since he was always up for taking part in charity work. He was in such a privileged position, to him it was only right to use that position for the betterment of the world! However, the one downside about the whole masquerade thing was that it made it just that little bit harder to figure out if he recognised anyone in the crowds outside. Not only was everyone in extravagant outfits that they wouldn’t usually wear, they were also wearing masks that hid their identity. This was going to add to Ethan’s gently simmering anxiety throughout the night, that was for sure. What if he ignored someone that he knew because he didn’t recognise who they were?! Figuring that everyone was in the same boat as he was, he continued to make a beeline for the doors up ahead. Surely he’d be able to find someone he knew inside, someone that would be instantly recognisable to him…</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If only Mark had been able to come with him… He’d been invited as well, they’d spoken about this night just recently, but the invite had come too late for his boyfriend - he’d already made plans for a secret project months before he got the invite and would be far too busy and tired to attend. Also, Mark loved raising money for charity, so he’d been pretty upset that he had to miss it. Plus, if Mark had been here with him, he’d have felt at ease with him at his side, and would have at least had an option to dance with someone if he’d wanted to. What’s more, he wished that Mark had been able to see his outfit - especially the mask, which was custom-made. It was deep blue, covered in a shimmering, sheer satin of the same colour (to match his suit), and was in the shape of a skull. It concealed the top half of his face, only leaving his nose, mouth and chin bare for everyone to see. He’d only picked up the suit and mask the day before and Mark had been out doing secret project stuff, so he’d not had the time to show him, sadly. Eventually he reached the doors which led into the manor and there was someone there who actually didn’t have a mask on! Thank god… Ethan smiled and gave a wave, cringing inwardly at how informal that was. He cleared his throat before continuing, “Hey, I’m Ethan Nestor. D’you need some ID?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lady was dressed in a red, floor length ball gown, blonde hair piled up on her head in some kind of elaborate bun which Ethan knew must have taken ages. Boy, was he glad he didn’t have long hair! She smiled at him, reaching for the iPad on the table beside her, and hummed as she tapped it a few times, “Nice to meet you, Ethan! No ID, just lift your mask a little for me so I can see it’s you, if that’s okay?” With a laugh Ethan did just that, and she bent down a bit to get a look at his face, “Awesome! I’m a big fan, you know. And your mask is so cool, I love the Unus Annus vibes! It’s a shame Mark couldn’t come with you tonight. You’re such a cute couple!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blushing lightly, Ethan slid the mask back over his face and grinned, “Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say. There’s a lot of people here, huh? Do you know everyone just from looking at them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a giggle, she shrugged, “Well, I know pretty much everyone on the list, yeah! Anyone that slips my mind, though, I have their picture here to help me out.” She wiggled the iPad in her hand and Ethan nodded. That made sense. “But don’t worry, I knew you straight away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Ethan realised he didn’t even know this woman’s name and he felt a little rude for it. He held out his hand, feeling awkward for the second time in her presence, and smiled, “Nice to meet you…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry!” she gushed, reaching a hand out to shake his, “My name’s Chelsea Goswell. You wouldn’t have heard of me so don’t worry!” She laughed softly and Ethan relaxed. “Once everyone’s accounted for, I’ll be joining the party too so if you get bored, come find me and we can dance. I’ll be wearing a red mask.” She grabbed it from the table to show him. Ethan was grateful to have a friendly face here, even if he technically didn’t know her, and felt relieved that there was at least one person he could search out if he found himself alone on the outskirts of the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nodding, he gave a warm smile and let go of her hand, “Great, thanks! I’d better get inside and see what’s going on, huh?” With that, she nodded with a smile and waved to him, so he headed through the doors and followed the signs set up at strategic intervals along the halls to what was labelled as the ‘Ballroom’. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever set foot in a ballroom before so he had no idea what to expect - yeah, he’d seen pictures before but that was completely different from the real thing. Inside the manor was just as beautiful as the outside. The interior decor was like a renaissance painting everywhere he looked, from floor to ceiling, and there were floor standing candles lighting every hall. As he followed the signs, he couldn’t help but sneak a look down other hallways, wanting to get a glimpse of what might be in the nooks and crannies of such a huge house as this. Luckily, in doing so, he spotted a sign letting him know that toilets were on the floor above, up a grand staircase made of marble. Wow. Fancy. As he neared the ballroom, he heard it before he saw it - there was loud music reverberating through the walls and, as he drew closer, he saw a large, darkened room full of dancing people. That sight alone had his heartbeat sky-rocketing. He made himself take a few deep breaths, remembering that he didn’t have to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with, and could easily just stand at the edges with a drink, watching everyone else dance quite happily. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on, Nestor, you’ve got this. It’ll just be for a little while, you can handle having a drink at the edge of the party, you’ve done it countless times before. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nodding decisively to himself, he straightened his shoulders and headed through the large mahogany double doors, feeling heavy curtains brush against him as he passed into the ballroom. Immediately he could feel the thrum of the music through the floor, buzzing throughout his body, and he cast his gaze about to find the bar. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Get a drink first, then take in the surroundings. Good plan.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The room was deliberately dark, he guessed, to add to the mystery of the masquerade. There </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> lights, notably the three chandeliers tracking down the centre of the ceiling in a neat row. Aside from that, there were some subtle spotlights dotted around, hidden so as to not look out of place inside such a historic building.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he got to the bar, he was glad to see another actual human face - the bar staff were luckily not made to wear masks, and for that he was grateful. He could only imagine what some of these masquerade masks would look like if someone were to have a few too many drinks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he was planning on staying for that long. It’d be a couple of drinks at the most, maybe some canapes if they looked tasty, watch the auction livestream, then he’d be on his way back home. When he managed to get the attention of one of the bar staff, he ordered a vodka and coke, thanking the guy who served him, then turned away to take a sip. Licking his lips, he finally allowed himself to have a good look around the room - it was probably the biggest room he’d ever been in, personally. The flooring was made of marble and, as he narrowed his eyes to see better, he noticed that the walls had elegant golden gilding decorating their surfaces - how YouTube had managed to secure this place for the event was beyond him. Though, he supposed, since it was for charity the owners were probably more than happy to accommodate. Taking a slow walk around the edge of the room, Ethan scanned what he could see of the people dancing. It was kind of funny, really, that the music playing didn’t fit the theme of the dance or their surroundings. You probably would have expected some kind of classical music, but no, there was popular music from the 80s all the way up until current day playing. For that, Ethan was grateful. He would’ve only been even more uncomfortable if he’d had to stand and listen to a load of classical music that he wasn’t familiar with. The pop &amp; rock music filling the room was at least something to entertain him, could even sing along if he felt comfortable enough. As he watched the people already dancing with drinks in their hands, he sipped from his own glass, when his gaze caught onto someone stood across the opposite side of the room, watching him. However, they were only there for a moment, then disappeared in a flash of white amongst the throng of people between them. Weird… maybe he hadn’t been watching him, anyway! It’s not like Ethan could make out anyone’s faces, so maybe the guy had just simply been standing there minding his own business, as Ethan was. His stream of thought was interrupted by a familiar, loud, Irish-accented voice, and he felt his heart lift with relief when he turned to come face to face with Sean.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ethan!” he greeted, grinning beneath his green sequined mask, then leaned in to gather him in a bear hug, “I wondered if I’d see you here.” When he let him go, he looked him up and down, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Great</span>
  </em>
  <span> outfit, man, especially the mask. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Memento mori</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” At that, Ethan giggled, and then Sean went on, “Speaking of, where’s the Annus to your Unus? Thought I’d be able to hear his voice from the front door!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan giggled even more, shaking his head before having another sip of his drink, “Thanks, man. Mark couldn’t make it, he’d already made plans months before we were invited. Secret project stuff, ya know?” He saw Sean roll his eyes but nodded his understanding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s this, Heist part 2?” he joked with a grin, though they both knew that Ethan wouldn’t spoil a single thing. Besides, Sean may even be asked to help out at some point. Mark was always recruiting his friends to his projects. “C’mon, I need a drink too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, they moved to the bar, and Ethan felt himself visibly relax now that he had Sean to latch onto and stay with for the rest of the night. He could actually try to have fun now that he wasn’t on his own. As a girl at the bar sorted out a glass of gin for Sean, they chatted amicably and Ethan leaned close to shout-whisper in his ear, “I like your outfit too, dude! Green’s a great colour on you. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who didn’t just go for black.” Oh wait, he shouldn’t have said that. They hadn’t exactly told anyone about the whole soulmate thing, and he’d just let slip that he could see in colour...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He saw Sean’s lips lift into a smirk, then he thanked the girl for his drink before handing over a note, “Keep the change for a donation, thanks!” As they moved away from the bar once more to let others get near, he took a sip of his gin before replying to Ethan, “So you and Markiboy aren’t just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>regular</span>
  </em>
  <span> couple then, huh? You’re the real deal. I’m happy for ya, man.” He nodded to himself, gazing around the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan lifted his free hand to self-consciously rub at the back of his neck, hoping Mark wouldn’t mind that he’d accidentally told Sean their secret. “Uh, yeah… we haven’t actually known for that long though, so let’s keep it on the down low.” He gave a nervous laugh, to which Sean groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ethan, dude, come on. I’m not gonna go spoutin’ my mouth off about you and Mark being soulmates. I know what it’s like, having to wait til the right moment to announce things to the public. Besides, who’s to say you ever have to tell your viewers? It’s your private business. They already know you’re a couple, what’s the difference to them?” He gave a shrug, a smile playing upon his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan gave a genuine laugh this time and he nodded his agreement, “You’re right. I know we can trust you, I’m sorry, man. It’s just we literally haven’t told </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I need to be careful, otherwise I might slip up and tell the wrong person, ya know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I get it. Honestly, though, everyone probably already knows - I mean, I had a feeling for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> time. You two just have chemistry that feels right together. What did you mean that you haven’t known for long though? Don’t soulmates usually have the whole colour vision change when they meet? You guys met years ago!” As they talked, they both slowly made their way through their drinks and even grabbed a canapé or two from passing by waiters with trays held up on offer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Apparently it’s rare but some people are late bloomers or something. There’s no proper reason why, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> happen where you don’t get the colour vision til later on,” Ethan shrugged, finishing his drink, “Me and Mark didn’t really look into it much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weird,” Sean agreed, also finishing his drink, “I’ll get us another round, you stay here. What’re you having?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, vodka and coke. Thanks, Sean!” he called, handing him his empty glass to be taken back to the bar. With a wink, Sean disappeared into the small crowd waiting to be served. Feeling the vodka slowly working its way through his body, added with the presence of a friend, Ethan really was relaxing. He felt himself begin to bop along to the song currently playing which he vaguely recognised as ‘Moves Like Jagger’. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>, this song was kinda old now. But still fun. By the time Sean came back, Ethan was edging towards the dancers in the middle of the floor and Sean laughed out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, lemme have another drink before we get out there!” he grinned, handing Ethan a filled glass which he immediately took a sip of. Ah… dancing juice. The good stuff. They both took sips of their drinks, and even Sean couldn’t help but sway along to the upbeat music just as Ethan was doing. By the time their glasses were empty again, Ethan was jittery with wanting to explode with dance and Sean could barely hold him back. “Okay, okay, let’s go!” he laughed, and Ethan dragged him into the middle of the dance floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now he had permission, Ethan wanted to let go - before, where it’d freaked him out not being able to see anyone’s face properly, he now felt more comfortable being able to dance without a care. If he didn’t know who anyone was, he wouldn’t give a damn if they thought he looked stupid or not! A wide grin on his face, Ethan began spinning in a circle, and Sean laughed, settling for a more subtle side step kinda deal. Ethan didn’t care though, he was happy to dance to this </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing</span>
  </em>
  <span> music and just have fun. As he was just about to show off how good his floss was, he felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around - he was face to face with a man in a white suit and a white mask, but when he focused in on it more, both the mask and the suit had red sequins sewn into them to look like droplets of blood. Similar to his own mask, this guy’s was also shaped like a skull and he laughed, lifting a hand to point out the similarity, “Hey, one of us has to go change, there can’t be two skulls at this party!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man tipped his head to one side, not speaking, but there was clearly a smile on his face. Why was he being so weird? Had Ethan said something bad? He didn’t think he had… As he thought hard back on what he’d just said, he felt Sean nudge his arm and he looked up to see a hand held palm upwards towards him. Lifting his head more, he saw the strange man watching him expectantly, and he was at a loss for words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dude, he’s asking you to dance,” Sean shout-whispered in his ear, to which Ethan balked at. Dance with some weirdo stranger who hadn’t even said a word to him, and they didn’t even know his name?! Even tipsy Ethan could tell that was a no-go zone. He started to back away when he heard Sean groan beside him, grab one of his hands and place it in the palm of the weirdo’s hand. What the…? Was Sean trying to get him murdered?! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clearly</span>
  </em>
  <span> because, with a laugh, he waved at them both before waltzing off back towards the bar, “Have fun, guys!” Ethan glared at him as he went, though he hadn’t taken his hand away from the strange guy in front of him. In fact, he felt the man pull him a little closer and he tensed up, his body slowly turning around inch by inch to look at him again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” he asked in an accusing voice, feeling a bit dizzy as the white-clad man twisted their hands to spin him in a circle under his arm. When he came to a stop, he was pressed up against the guy’s chest and his free arm had snaked around Ethan’s waist. He caught a whiff of cologne and felt his breath catch - he knew that smell, it was one of his favourite scents in the whole world...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you know,” was the whisper he heard in his ear, to which his heart raced at. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> know. That was the one voice he’d always be able to pick out, even if he whispered from across the room full of people shouting - well, that was an exaggeration, his hearing wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> good, but you get the idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark?!” came his excited shout, immediately reaching up in hopes of prying away his boyfriend’s mask, only to have his hands caught in mid air. He pouted at being refused the sight of his boyfriend’s beautiful face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’ll find that the name you’re looking for is Annus, darling,” he whispered in Ethan’s ear, causing shivers to shoot from the back of his neck down to the base of his spine. He swallowed heavily before nodding, wanting to play along but also just wanting to dance with his boyfriend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Annus</span>
  </em>
  <span> then. Can we dance now? I didn’t think you were coming!” he grinned widely, and felt exhilaration tug at his soul as Mark began to sway with him to the music. Happily he slung his arms around his boyfriend’s neck and, sighing with relief, they easily fell into step with one another. Another fast song was on, but he was too dizzy and happy to know which one. Mark kept hold of his waist as they bopped and spun with each other, and Ethan began giggling, caught up in the whirlwind of Mark surrounding him. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend had fooled him so bad and that he was actually here! As the song slowed to an end, Mark maneuvered them so he could dip Ethan to the floor and lean down to kiss him softly. Ethan felt his whole body turn to mush from the sight of Mark towering above him dressed all in white, his head circled by a glow of light like a halo from the chandelier above.  Ethan felt Mark’s hands gently take hold of his elbows, pulling him up to his feet and steadying him, and he was grateful for that because his head was really spinning now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we should get you some air,” Mark, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>Annus</span>
  </em>
  <span> if he wanted to be called that, murmured in his ear, and Ethan nodded, clutching tight onto his hand as they headed towards some more double doors across the room which opened out onto the gardens at the back of the house. As they were hit with a blast of cool air, Ethan let out a sigh and leaned against the stone handrail of the balcony they stood on in order to get a better look at the sprawling garden. There were all kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees out here, obviously tended to by a professional gardener, and Ethan could smell their natural perfume fill his nose. A dozy smile began spreading across his face and he felt Mark slide his hand on top of his where it rested on the handrail. Glancing up, he pouted, lip pulled down dramatically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why won’t you let me see your face, Ma-Annus? It’s just us here!” he (definitely did not) whined, and he lifted his free hand up to cup his boyfriend’s jaw.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark turned his head to press a kiss to Ethan’s palm and he gave a soft smile, “Well, I suppose since I’ve made you wait this long, I should repay your patience.” With that, he reached up to carefully remove his mask, setting it on the handrail next to Ethan, his eyes glimmering. Ethan was captivated by his boyfriend’s beauty, set against a backdrop of the moon shining behind him. His eyes were highlighted by red eyeliner, clearly to add more effect to the mask, and Ethan thought it was kind of hot. Mark should wear eyeliner more often… Nevertheless, he gave a happy smile and leaned in to press their lips together, and Mark’s arms encircled his waist securely. Ethan’s entire being felt lit up from the inside as their lips melded together, and his hand drifted to the soft hair at the nape of Mark’s neck. However, the kiss was broken way too soon, and he pouted once again as he watched his boyfriend. “You look stunning, Unus. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I do want you to take off the mask too. Your face is so much more beautiful beneath it.” Ethan’s heart fluttered at his smooth, warm words that drifted over him like the rays of the sun. Without hesitation he lifted off his mask and set it down with Mark’s, only to find himself tugged back in close at the waist, and his boyfriend was grinning. “Much better,” he murmured, a hand moving to trace the line of Ethan’s jaw, “I can’t believe I kept this a secret from you. I RSVP’d to this like a week ago and had to rush around like a fool getting my outfit ready. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>supposed to be working on the project tonight but when we talked about this, you looked so disappointed that I couldn’t come… So, I had a thought - why not surprise you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan giggled and leaned his face into Mark’s palm, a soft smile on his lips, “You did this all for me… I hope the project isn’t behind schedule now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark shrugged his shoulders in a physical representation of the phrase ‘ehhh’ whilst still grinning, “Nah, it’s fine. Besides, I’d still have done this even if it was. It’s worth it to see you all dressed up and enjoying yourself. I wanted to be a part of that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Humming, Ethan slid close and wrapped his arms around Mark’s waist, leaning his cheek on his chest, “I had the best time. If I hadn’t figured out it was you I was dancing with, I was about to kick you in the balls though. Thought you were a creep. Thought Sean abandoned me.” His lips pursed into a pout once more and he felt Mark burst into laughter from the way his stomach was moving. Looking up, he couldn’t help but grin at the sight of Mark’s eyes screwed shut and his face the picture of pure joy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the giggles had calmed down, Mark wiped at his eyes carefully, mindful of the eyeliner, and he smoothed a hand down Ethan’s back, “Well, I’m glad my balls are still intact. What do you say we put our masks back on and go back in there as Unus Annus reunited? They’ve still gotta do the auction livestream and I’ve put some stuff up for sale.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<span>With their masks firmly back in place, Ethan and Mark headed back into the ballroom together, hand in hand, and found Sean hanging around the bar - Ethan swatted his arm and Mark watched in amusement as the Irishman was told off for leaving him to be murdered. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>then</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was Mark’s turn for his arm to be swatted when Ethan found out that Sean had been in on it the whole time. All three of them collapsed into giggles at how absurd the whole situation was and Sean begged to not be involved in any of their domestic arguments ever again. Mark and Ethan both agreed, though they were sure it would happen again at some point in the future. By the end of the night, they were ecstatic with how much money was raised for charity and the three of them shared a taxi back from the party. Though Sean spent most of the ride complaining that Ethan and Mark wouldn’t leave each other alone, and he was glad that his hotel was first out of the stops that the driver made. “Get a room!” he called to them after he’d paid the driver and waved them off, shaking his head before making his way into the hotel.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've never written Sean before, hope he was okay, don't come after me!<br/>Also, I'm not sure I liked the ending but I wanted to leave it off before they got home. Hope you liked! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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